It wasn’t exactly a hot take from Nuggets coach Michael Malone. But when asked before Denver’s Sunday matchup against the Rockets about the toughest players for teams to guard in the NBA, Malone called Rockets star James Harden the “early favorite” to win the league’s MVP award.
Harden entered Sunday averaging 31.1 points, nine assists and five rebounds per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from 3-point distance. He’s spearheading a Houston team that entered Sunday with the NBA’s best record.
“James is so tough because he gets to the foul line 10 times a game,” Malone said.